They received a favorable response from Ed Shinn, Supervisor of Parks and Rec, via video that he and his staff would grant them their request. Now there are blue recycling tots with a hole in the top which cans and bottles fit through with small holes drilled in the bottom to allow rain to drain.

These students are certainly deserving of the Dorothy Buell Youth Environmental Award recognition because they have contributed positively to dealing with plastic, aluminum, and glass by sending it to a recycling facility instead of a landfill in Michigan state. In addition, they have demonstrated the initiative and drive which creates leaders. The Greenhouse Gas Inventory completed for the MC community in summer 2019 revealed that an inordinate amount of trash–much greater than other cities the size of MC–was being land filled instead of recycled. This diversion of recyclables from the City parks into the LaPorte County Solid Waste District’s recycling program will help reduce the City’s tonnage to the landfill which is in line with goals established by the Michigan City Sustainability Commission. Congratulations to everyone involved in this outstanding project!